The Perceptions of Academic Librarians in Texas regarding Library Leadership

The purpose of this phenomenological narrative study was to investigate the perceptions of academic librarians in Texas regarding their experiences with leadership development. The participants in the study were 10 librarians who had varying levels of library leadership experiences. Interviews were conducted face-to-face or virtually, with in-depth questions about leadership training. The interviews were analyzed to see the differences among levels of librarians and the impacts of their participation in leadership development. The findings revealed the participants' perceptions regarding library leadership development, including what they saw as the most and least necessary leadership skills, obstacles to leadership development, and impacts on their personal and professional life of such training. Possible implications of this study might influence the design of leadership programs and succession planning at university libraries.